From first ideas to an approved, buildable design
This guide explains what happens after your initial project planning: how your architect develops the design, which consultants may be needed, and how a residential project moves towards approval.
02 — The Design & Approval Roadmap
Stage 2: Design
Use this roadmap to understand the sequence. Every site and approval authority is different, so your architect will tailor the process to your project.
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02 | The Design & Approval Roadmap..
1. Confirm the project foundations
Before design begins, confirm:
- Your project brief and priorities
- Your comfortable total project budget and upper limit
- A current registered survey
- Available information about the existing home and site
- Known planning, bushfire, flood, heritage, biodiversity or coastal constraints
- Your preferred timeframe
- Who will make project decisions
Your foundation checklist
2. Site analysis and feasibility
Your architect investigates how the site, planning controls and your brief interact.
This may include:
- Orientation, sunlight and prevailing breezes
- Slope, access and existing levels
- Views, privacy and neighbouring development
- Trees, vegetation and landscape opportunities
- Setbacks, height, floor-space and site-coverage controls
- Easements, services and stormwater
- Likely DA or CDC pathway
- Early construction and budget risks
Why this matters
A strong site response can create better light, comfort and privacy while reducing avoidable redesign and construction complexity.
3. Concept design
Concept design establishes the big decisions before detailed documentation begins.
Typical outputs may include:
- Site and floor-plan options
- Building form and massing
- Key elevations and sections
- Indoor–outdoor relationships
- Preliminary material direction
- Basic 3D views or visualisations
- Initial sustainability and passive-design thinking
- An early review against budget and planning controls
Questions to ask during concept design
- Does the layout support everyday family life?
- Are the best areas receiving useful natural light?
- Is circulation efficient?
- Are privacy and outlook balanced?
- Does the design suit the site rather than fight it?
- Are we prioritising the right spaces?
- Is the concept still aligned with budget?
4. Design development
Once the preferred concept is selected, it is tested and refined.
The team may develop:
- Room dimensions and furniture planning
- Window and door locations
- Roof, structure and level relationships
- Kitchen, bathroom and joinery concepts
- External materials and finishes
- Shading and energy-performance measures
- Preliminary services coordination
- Landscape and external works
- Updated cost advice
Decision point
Resolve major spatial, material and budget decisions before approval or construction documentation. Late changes usually take more time and can affect consultant work.
5. Understand DA and CDC
Development Application — DA
A DA is assessed by the local council against the relevant planning controls and site circumstances. Further information or design changes may be requested during assessment.
Complying Development Certificate — CDC
A CDC is a code-based pathway available only when the site and the complete proposal meet all applicable requirements. It is assessed by council or an accredited certifier.
Other approvals and certificates
Your project may also require separate approvals or supporting documentation for stormwater, drainage, driveways, trees, bushfire, flooding, heritage, coastal conditions or other site matters.
Approval requirements vary by property and can change. Confirm the current pathway with your architect, planner, certifier and relevant authority before relying on general guidance.
6. Assemble the consultant team
Depending on the project, you may need:
- Registered surveyor
- Town planner
- Structural engineer
- Civil or stormwater engineer
- Geotechnical engineer
- Bushfire consultant
- Energy assessor
- Landscape architect or designer
- Arborist, ecologist or heritage consultant
- Quantity surveyor
- Certifier
Consultant tracker
Consultant | Required? | Engaged? | Report due |
Surveyor | |||
Planner | |||
Structural engineer | |||
Stormwater engineer | |||
Energy assessor |
7. Prepare and lodge the application
Before lodgement, check that the architectural set and consultant information tell one coordinated story.
8. Navigate assessment
During assessment:
- Keep requests and responses in one place
- Record submission dates and deadlines
- Ask your architect to review requested changes before agreeing
- Confirm whether amendments affect consultant reports
- Track approval conditions for the next stage
Approval tracker
- Application type:
- Lodgement date:
- Reference number:
- Assessing authority:
- Contact:
- Further information requested:
- Response due:
- Determination date:
- Key conditions: